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1968 Chevrolet Camaro Power Windows and Tinted Glass - When Good Cars Go Bad Part 6Wrapping Up Project Karma With Power Windows And Tinted Glass. Part 6 From the March, 2010 issue of Camaro Performers By Chuck Vranas Photography by Chuck Vranas
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It's been a long road for Tony Rose and his project Karma Camaro over the last year. His car has finally emerged from the boulevard of broken dreams with a vengeance, thanks to Peter Newell and the team at Competition Specialties in Walpole, Massachusetts. With the body glowing in fresh vibe, it was time to dial in the last few updates before hitting the road. With the car's interior gutted from the rebuild, this closing segment focuses on giving the car its last bit of personality before it gets shipped back to Rose for final assembly. There's no way that a car of this caliber could settle for roll-up windows, so a call was placed to Electric Life for one of their power front and rear window regulator systems. The system is well known for being a direct bolt-in replacement for the manual factory units. To compliment the new electric's, Rose decided to incorporate dramatic smoked glass into the mix, so a complete replacement glass package was ordered from Prodigy Customs. The order from Prodigy included their signature smoked glass for the sides and rear, along with a windshield featuring a matching top tint band. To bring it all home, Marquez Design was called upon for some of their classy interior components, including a package tray, trunk lid cover, and sculpted door panels. Using many of the '68's original GM components, such as window tracks and hardware, the install was a breeze. It's always a solid idea to work carefully with any glass installation due to the fragile nature of the job. Peter exercises caution when lowering window tracks and regulators into confined spaces so as not to dent or damage outer panels, and to properly tape mask the outer surfaces in case of any handling mishaps. With Project Karma rescued from its checkered past, we can hardly wait to see it emerge on the scene next year as it tears up the asphalt from coast to coast.  When planning out interior...  When planning out interior appointments for the Karma Camaro, owner Tony Rose decided the car would need to have provisions for power windows and switches. He contacted Electric Life for their direct bolt-in factory-styled regulators. Pictured left is their front regulator and motor from Kit (PN GM89-6869-K), and right is their rear regulator and motor kit (PN GM104-6769-K).  To give the car a stealthy...  To give the car a stealthy attitude, a call was made to Prodigy Customs for their complete replacement glass package. It features side and rear pieces with their signature smoked glass, and windshield with a matching upper tint band. Engineered for easy installation using factory hardware, Peter Newell of Competition Specialties attaches the original GM window track base into place.  Using the original window...  Using the original window track base hardware, Peter secured the window base into place on the new Prodigy Customs rear side glass.  With the hardware installation...  With the hardware installation complete, Peter laid out the new glass with the factory window track to illustrate how it would appear once secured inside the body panel.  Since the interior was yet...  Since the interior was yet to be installed, access was a snap. Peter began by placing the factory window track inside the body panel (it will be secured after the placement of the power window regulator).  Next, the Electric Life power...  Next, the Electric Life power window regulator was placed inside the body panel and secured to the factory location using the provided hardware.  To prevent any possible damage...  To prevent any possible damage to the freshly-painted body, Peter used 2-inch masking tape to protect the rear quarter glass entry area.  With the window track inside...  With the window track inside the body panel, Peter gently lowered the glass in and linked its base to the window track. He then bolted the track into place using original hardware.  Here you cannot only see the...  Here you cannot only see the window track and new power window regulator joined in place, but also the three marked glass adjustment areas which allowed Peter to get the new glass perfectly aligned to the body.  Peter wrapped it up by installing...  Peter wrapped it up by installing the wiring pigtail to the power window regulator then fed it through the body panel into the interior. Note that a rubber grommet was installed to the body panel to prevent the wiring from getting chaffed.  The updated application for...  The updated application for the front doors required the use of all original window tracks. Here you can see the three factory GM tracks after a mild clean-up.  Peter begins the installation...  Peter begins the installation of the first of the three window tracks. It gets secured in place with the original hardware.  Next, Peter indicated the...  Next, Peter indicated the location of the second window track from outside the door in the area where it will be mounted inside and secured in place.  Here we marked the inner door...  Here we marked the inner door structure to illustrate the four adjustment points used to fine-tune the glass once it is installed.  With the final window channel...  With the final window channel bolted into place, the door was now ready for the power window regulator.  Peter showed us where the...  Peter showed us where the new Electric Life power window regulator would be located inside the door, while Thor, the newest member of the team, was caught snoozing.  Using a soft blanket to prevent...  Using a soft blanket to prevent any scratches to the new door side glass, Peter installed the original window channel to the glass, making sure not to over-tighten the hardware.  The glass was lowered into...  The glass was lowered into position and lined up so that the operation of the new power window regulator would be flawless. Note that Peter again masked all surrounding paint for added protection during the installation. Once the Marquez Design door panels are installed, Rose can then decide exactly where to place the electric window switches.  All we can say is, bitchin!...  All we can say is, bitchin! Take a look at the killer appearance of Roses '68. Thanks to Competition Specialties, Electric Life, and Prodigy Customs, the car now has plenty of attitude. Look for a full Camaro Performers magazine feature on Project Karma later this year.
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